Always
by reginad99
Summary: Peeta Mellark is happy with his life and his girlfriend, Katniss. However, when Peeta gets chosen to be District 12's male tribute in the 74th Hunger Games, everything will change. Written in both Katniss and Peeta POV.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey** **guys! Wow... I haven't written a fanfiction in forever. I kinda abandoned the Dayna Marshe one... just no good ideas I guess. But here I am with a new fanfiction starring our two favorite characters: Katniss and Peeta! I realize most of you here are from my instagram ( thehungergames99) but if you aren't, feel free to check it out. This is a really short chapter since y'all pressured me into uploading this tonight LOL. Also, Peeta's fathers name Severin is a name I got from someone else, yet I don't remember at the moment. **

**Well anyway... on to the story. (:**

* * *

I wake up with the view of the beautiful sunrise outside my window. On another day, I may have painted the view outside my window before heading to work my shift at the bakery.

Today however i don't want to waste a minute of time with my family since I could be shipped off to the Capitol this afternoon.

The chances of me being chosen during the reaping is slim since my name is only in the bowl five times. I was one of the lucky ones, I never had to take out tesserae.

The perks of living on stale bread, I guess.

I slowly make my way out of bed and trudge down the stairs into the bakery.  
My father, Severin, is already in the back room kneading dough.  
"Hey dad," I yawn as I walk over next to him to grab ingredients to make another loaf of bread.

"Good morning, Peet," my dad replies looking at me with concern in his eyes.  
I know he is worried about today.  
I'm about to ask my dad where the yeast is when I hear my brother Rye slowly making his way down the stairs.

'With his loud footfalls he would make a horrible hunter,' I think as he walks into the kitchen and yawns obnoxiously.

I smirk at his disheveled hair and sleepy expression and can't help but feel jealous.  
Since Rye is two years older than me, he is now eighteen and this is his last reaping.  
After today he won't have to worry anymore. One less person for me to worry for.

We all work in relative silence to make what is needed for later today.  
We won't open until four, which is after the reaping so families can buy baked goods for their children who survive another year.

Working in silence is common during the morning shift, we aren't a very talkative bunch. Yet today there is an unspoken anxiety in the room and we all know what it is about.

At about eight o' clock, someone is knocking on the back door. I start beaming and tell my dad I will answer it.  
He smiles and nods, knowing who it is.

I walk through the kitchen and open the door and see my girlfriend standing there with a giant game bag over her shoulder.

Katniss looks up at me and smiles her beautiful smile before pulling her face to mine in a sweet kiss.  
She pulls back and grins at me and I know my face is reflecting hers.

"Hey beautiful," I say softly.

"Hardly," she replies looking at her blood-stained clothes.

"You always look beautiful, Kat." I smile.

"You aren't bad yourself, Mellark. But anyway, I've got four squirrels today. You willing to trade?"

"Sure," I say before slipping inside to grab three loafs of bread. I return outside to see Katniss looking at the bread with wide eyes.

"Peeta, I only have four squirrels, they aren't worth this much." she has her signature frown on her face.

"Keep it Katniss." I state firmly.

"But-"

My lips are on hers before she can finish the sentence.

I pull away from her face slightly and say, "keep it."

She sighs in defeat and turns to walk away.

"See you later, Kat."

She turns around with sad eyes and waves before catching up with her hunting partner, Gale who is probably selling strawberries to the mayor.

When Katniss and I first started dating a year ago, I was worried about Gale and her.  
Yes, I was jealous.

Katniss however assured me several times that nothing ever went happened between them and never will. Besides, he is stuck on Madge Undersee anyway.

The morning is otherwise uneventful and before I know it it is 1:30 and we are walking the small distance to town square.

The buildings are decorated to try and hide the drab gray colors that coat our district. They fail horribly.

A stage is set up in front of town hall and two of the three seats on stage are taken by the mayor, Mr. Undersee and our district escort, the bubbly Effie Trinket. She is dressed in a rediculous green skirt with a pink top. Flowers and ruffles are everywhere on her clothes. Her hair which could only be a wig , is bright pink and has a large white flower in it to match. Ugh, capitol people.

She is looking at the vacant seat next to her irritably. Haymitch Abernathy, the only living victor from district 12 is missing. As usual. He is always drunk and there is no doubt that is where he is now.

At two exactly, Effie walks up to the microphone and repeats her usual banter about how it is making your district "proud" to be in the games.  
I finally pay attention when she says, "As usual, Ladies first!"

Her chipper voice and annyoing Capitol accent is getting to me.

Her hand moves slowly across the bowl for suspense but all I can think about is Katniss and her twenty slips of paper in that bowl.

Effie finally selects a slip and holds it in the air. She takes her time opening the paper as well and the pregnant pause is broken when she says two words: "Delly Cartwright."

I frown and my stomach twists into knots. Delly is the tailors daughter and a close childhood friend of mine. She wouldn't hurt a fly.

I am relieved that Katniss or her sister Prim wasn't chosen, I couldn't bare it to see either one in the games with a chance of them never coming back to me. I could never lose Katniss, I love her.

Delly steps up on the stage with the tears evident flowing down her splotchy face and I can't help but feel my eyes start to water before I bat at them lightly. No crying, Mellark.

Effie looks at Delly with a 'what the hell is wrong with you' look. I am getting more irritated by the minute, I just want to see Katniss. The escort then strides up to the boy's bowl afterwards and takes her time on choosing this name as well.

She holds the slip out in the air and opens it. I am thinking about my plans with Katniss tonight as she reads the name.

"Peeta Mellark!"

God. Dammit.


	2. Chapter 2

**Oh my god. I am so sorry guys, like you have no idea. I started high school this week and it has me very busy. I will hopefully try to update this every week or so but yeah. I am reallyyy sorry. **

**Now, onto the ****_very_****short chapter 2. **

* * *

**PEETA POV.**

"Peeta Mellark?" Effie is calling my name into the microphone and is getting irritated at my actions. I am still frozen in shock as a peacekeeper strides over to me and pushes me up toward the stage. I break out of my shock and I really take in what just happened. I have been reaped. Five slips out of thousands had my name on them. One got picked. I silently walk on stage with tears threatening to pool over my lashes and state my name into the microphone as Delly did moments ago. Delly is staring at me with wide and afraid eyes. I try to give her a reassuring smile but I know I fail miserably.

In this moment is when a disheveled Haymitch Abernathy decides to stagger onto the stage. He is obviously very drunk.

"Looks like we've got a pair of townies this year!" Haymitch puts his arms around Delly and I and she lets out a small squeal of disgust. "I like you," the drunk says to me as he slaps me on the back. I can smell the alcohol on his breath. He then proceeds to hug Effie and knock her obnoxious wig awry before he walks to far ahead of us and falls face first off the stage. A few people snicker in the audience as several peacekeepers have to carry him away.

I decide to then look into the girls section to see Katniss forcing back tears. Katniss is crying. Katniss Everdeen never cries. I stare at her pained expression for a second before Effie asks Delly and I to shake hands. We shake hands and I squeeze her hand quickly in reassurance. Effie then announces us.

"Let's give a round of applause to the tributes from District 12, Delly Cartwright and Peeta Mellark." She sounds annoyed. I can see her eye twitch slightly at the sight of no one clapping. Not one person. "Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor!"

Yeah right.

* * *

I am lead into a small yet plush room that is located in the justice building. I have never been here before and I am taking in the sight of such a fancy room right as my whole family barges into the room. My father has tears in his eyes and I jump up to hug him first. He keeps murmuring "I am so sorry, I am so sorry," over and over. I look at my other family. Rye has a guilty look in his eyes and I know why. He could have volunteered and he didn't. I don't blame him though; most siblings wouldn't sacrifice themselves like that. My eldest brother, Bannock pulls me into a tight hug and I squeeze him back. I am closest to Bannock. I look back at my mother, Lily. She has a bored expression on her face and I am not surprised. She never cared for me, anyway. I was always the main target of her actions and I'm sure she is glad I am leaving. She lives up to her nickname 'Lilith.'

"I-I'm betting on you Peet," my father says to me with tears in his eyes.

"Oh, give me a break." My mother rolls her eyes and my family stares at her like she has three heads. "It isn't like he can win; I mean he is a failure at everything anyway. No way could he be smart enough to win the games." I know I shouldn't but I tear up a bit and my mother smirks at me. "See?" She stares at me with disgust in her eyes. "Real men don't cry."

A peacekeeper then comes in to tell my family they have to leave. I hug my father, Rye and Bannock and tell them I love them before they are pushed out the door. I flop down on a magenta love seat and try helplessly to wipe the evidence of tears from my face. It is then that Katniss walks into the room with a splotchy face and it breaks my heart. I automatically walk over to her and envelop her in my arms and we just stay like that for a while.

She pulls back and looks at me before speaking. "Look Peeta, I love you so much and I can't bear the thought of you going into the games and forgetting me and then I remembered that you can have a district token and-"

I cut her stammering off with a short yet meaningful kiss but she pulls back after a few seconds and continues her talking. "Will you wear this as a District token?" She looks at me with questioning eyes and pulls out a small gold pin out of her pocket. The pin is small, only about an inch and a half in diameter. It is circular with a bird I recognize being a mockingjay enveloped in the circle. I nod and let her place the pin on my shirt. "It used to be my mother's," she explains quickly. "She got it from her old friend Mayslee before she-" she takes a shaky breath and I know what she was about to say. Mayslee Donner went into the 50th Hunger Games with Haymitch and never came out.

"Thank you, Katniss," I whisper to her and kiss her again. She starts crying.

"Please try to come home, Peeta." She is sobbing now.

"I will Kat, I will," I promise her.

"I love you, Always." Always is our word that we always say to each other.

"Always," I respond back.

A peacekeeper then comes in to collect Katniss. She grips onto me and I pull her into a deep kiss before saying, "I love you, Kat."

"I love you too, Peeta. Come back to me!" She is still crying and it is making me want to burst into tears as well.

The door shuts and I rest my head on the wood surface and whisper softly, "Always."

* * *

My other visitors consisted of my two friends, Mark the butcher's son and Dominic the tool-maker's son. The visits were the same with awkward silences and well wishes but all I can think about is the fact I may never see Katniss again. Effie comes soon after to collect Delly and I from the goodbye rooms and her face is red from tears and I know mine is too; so much for looking tough. We board the train and I am speechless at the fancy décor of the train car. We are in what looks to be a dining car with several wooden tables, chandeliers and what appears to be a buffet set up. Effie sits us down and proceeds to find Haymitch muttering about manners under her breath. I look up to Delly and smile slightly. "Hey Dell," I mutter.

"Hi Peeta," she puts a shaky smile on her face and sniffs. I know that Delly is thinking the same thing as me. We are never going to see our home ever again.

After a few minutes of silence, Haymitch comes staggering in through the automatic door and pours himself some whiskey. He flops down in the chairs in front of us and loudly slurps his beverage. I make several attempts to make him talk but he just makes drunken grunts.

I miss Katniss. I don't know how I will survive these games.

* * *

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